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The prevalence of forced sex and its contribution to sleep difficulties among young Australian women aged 24-30 years (n = 9,061) was examined using data from the 2003 Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health. The lifetime prevalence of reported forced sex was 8.7%. Significantly higher levels of recurrent sleep difficulties, prescription sleep medication, clinical depression, anxiety disorder, self-harm, and substance use, as well as lower socioeconomic status (SES) indicators, were reported by the forced sex group compared to the no forced sex group. Hierarchical logistic regression revealed the high odds (OR = 1.95, CI = 1.66-2.26) of recurrent sleep difficulty in such women becomes partially attenuated, but remains statistically significant, after adjusting for key psychological, SES, and behavioral variables. Clinical implications for primary care providers and sleep specialists are discussed. Sleep difficulties are highly prevalent and affect more than 30% of those seeking primary health care (Kushida et al., 2005). They negatively impact on the way a person feels and functions (Dinges et al., 1997) and make a significant contribution to accidents, health care costs, and problems at work (Roth, 2005).
Keywords: forced sex; deliberate self harm; sleep disorders; SES; anxiety
Sleep difficulties occur more often in women than in men (Akerstedt, Fredlund, Gillberg, & Jansson, 2002). A meta-analysis of 29 studies found that compared with men, women face an increased risk of insomnia (1.41:1; Zhang & Wing, 2006) and this risk appears to increase with age (Byles, Mishra, Harris, & Nair, 2003). The gender disparity in the prevalence of sleep problems is also found in common mental disorders (Astbury, 2001).
Previous research has focused on identifying the factors that explain the gender difference in sleep disorders. To date, research has been conducted into hormonal and physiological differences, including the role of estrogen in sleep changes (Dzaja et al., 2005), the influence of the menstrual cycle, oral contraceptive use, pregnancy, the postpartum, and menopause on sleep (Moline, Broch, & Zak, 2004). The relationship between the psychological disorders in which women predominate and sleep problems has also been investigated (Piccinelli & Wilkinson, 2000).
Most recently, socioeconomic differences between men and women have been examined as a potential source of the gender disparity in sleep disorders. An analysis of data from the British Psychiatric Morbidity Survey...